#NRA Portrays Gun Control Activist Shannon Watts as a Stepford Wife

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Newtown: Now is the Time for Gun Control

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The National Rifle Association is always proud when a woman straps on a gun and walks through Target or Home Depot, but they really despise women who want gun control. That's why in a recent article, the NRA is attacking Shannon Watts, the activist Mom who created "Moms Demand Action."

In an article called "Not Watt She Seems," NRA has chosen to demean Watts by making her the caricature of a 50's retro paper-doll housewife surrounded by household objects such as a feather duster, an iron, and a spatula. In essence, the NRA is depicting women as Stepford Wives.



From the Article in America's First Freedom Zmag

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG IS BANKROLLING “MOMS DEMAND ACTION,” WITH SHANNON WATTS AS HIS STAND-IN, STAY-AT-HOME MOM.
BUT A CLOSER LOOK REVEALS HER COVER STORY TO BE PAPER-THIN.
Ms. Watts was not an activist or involved in gun issues prior to the shootings at Sandy Hook on Dec. 14, 2012. The day after the tragedy, she started a Facebook page called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America....
. . . The registered address for her pr firm was a residence, so presumably she was running her pr firm out of her house. Her children were all well into school-age or older, so it’s likely that she had plenty of time to run her business during the day. Watts’ biography on Linkedin.com states that she ran the public relations firm until June 2012. Also, for the 20 months ending in June 2012, she was a consultant for the large public relations firm FleishmanHillard. Also, in May 2010, Watts and her husband opened the Watts Fine Art gallery in Zionsville, Ind. There’s nothing wrong with that, except “running a streetfront art gallery plus public relations business from my house” is not the impression conveyed by “stay-at-home mom.”

Shannon Watts, via Chicago Tribune

"The idea that I might be able to stay home and do something other than cook and clean seems beyond their grasp," Watts says. "They believe real moms wear dresses from the 1950s and use rotary telephones and iron — which, in my opinion, is what the dryer is for."
The image is an odd move for an organization so actively courting women to join their ranks.
"For them to denigrate women, who make up the majority of the electorate, seems incredibly short-sighted," Watts says.

Rebranding?

The NRA ultimately loses the argument by insisting that Watts has no right to be as accomplished as she is, since she calls herself a stay-at-home mother. That is insulting to all women throughout history, It seems as if Wayne La Pierre believes the old cliche of women being "just a housewife," as if women were ever "just" anything.

The ironic thing about the NRA's argument is that it portrays Watts as both an accomplished and effective activist, so they are admitting they have a Renaissance woman as an adversary. And now that they are throwing down the gauntlet, even bringing the ages of her children into their criticism, they deserve whatever despicable fate awaits them in the future.

Watts and @MomsDemand fought back in social media with the hashtag #MomsNotMaids and graphics making fun of the NRA's backward and sexist view of women.

.@NRA investigates my Linkedin profile: determines I went to college, had career, not cooking enough #MomsNotMaids pic.twitter.com/9Wq2LANhsD

— Shannon (@shannonrwatts) August 26, 2014

Use our FAST TWEET TOOL to let the @NRA know we’re #MomsNotMaids. CLICK HERE: http://t.co/MjFRnNGTuG #momsdemand pic.twitter.com/LMjfJMJq9X

— Moms Demand Action (@MomsDemand) August 26, 2014

My salary is zero dollars; Wayne paid millions: "What #NRA Pays #WayneLapierre To Sell Guns" http://t.co/Uqqk2b6aJw #MomsDemand #gunsense

— Shannon (@shannonrwatts) August 27, 2014

@shannonrwatts @NRA: The NRA is scared of #MomsDemand because they know Shannon is smart, focused, and successful. #MomsNotMaids

— Momvoter (@momvoter) August 27, 2014

I am an Army Veteran. I am a health care professional & a mom to 4 children. Tell the NRA we are #MomsNotMaids !!!!

— NikLuk (@Nikluk) August 26, 2014

When .@NRA's argument is senseless & leads to more gun violence, all you have left is sexist attacks. #MomsNotMaids pic.twitter.com/rk7zj6layk

— KHARY PENEBAKER (@kharyp) August 27, 2014

.@NRA Todays moms can multi-task big time. A top task - keep our children & communities safe from gun violence. #MomsNotMaids #MomsDemand

— Tina Martinez (@martineztinam) August 25, 2014

.@NRA We are #MomsNotMaids but we will clean the House & Senate of your influence. Without threats or violence. #gunsense

— Sylvie Kenig Dessau (@moiskd) August 27, 2014

.@NRA got one thing right. She's Not Watts She Seems...SHE'S STRONGER. #MomsNotMaids #MomsDemand http://t.co/md2OHYnG2I

— Galsgow (@Aefauld) August 26, 2014

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Bill O'Reilly on 1950s White America - "Unified" and "Innocent"

This is a comforting bedtime story for Bill O's aging Republican audience:

Transcript Here on Fox News

The death of 70-year-old Annette Funicello yesterday, a red flag to the baby boom generation. Annette gained fame at age 13 as one of the leading members of the iconic Mickey Mouse Club.

. . . Americans have more income today, but the big ticket items like homes take a lot more money. On social issues, in 1959, only five percent of American babies are born out of wedlock, five percent. And abortion very rare. Today, about 41 percent, that's a shocking turn of events. In the 1950s drug use was rare. Although the alcoholism rate is about the same as it is today.

Another interesting category, innocence. In the `50s and `60's, premarital sex and explicit behavior even in the media was kept kind of quiet. As Annette Funicello demonstrated social interaction was kind of innocent.

. . . the `50s were wholesome, especially by today's anything goes standards. American baby boomers tend to glorify their youth, we all know that, even the turbulent late `60s and early `70s. But there was a different attitude in America after World War II. Because we had won a hellacious war, white America was kind of unified and standards of behaviour were very similar. That unification made it easier for society to function.There was respect for teachers, for cops, for clerics. Now that's gone. The mantra today being, "Where is mine?"

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These sound like the crumbling thoughts of an individual who finds the modern world simply too much to bear.
~ Martin Bashir on MSNBC

Bill O’Reilly should have been a cameo on LL Cool J’s latest song, ‘Accidental Racist.’” Whether or not he means it or not, he’s walked right into this one. White America was unified by what exactly? It’s an absolute slap in the face to 2013 and everything that we stand for in this particular America.
~ Angela Rye on Martin Bashir

O'Reilly was also opining during the segment for the days back when America was "more wholesome." Pardon me if I have a little bit of trouble hearing from someone who is apparently in the middle of a divorce right now and can't control his temper because of it on that topic.
I don't want to hear about the "need to be more wholesome" from someone who had to settle a sexual harrassment suit with one of their former employees.
I don't want to hear about the "need to be more wholesome" from someone who was accused of harassing his ex-wife's boyfriend.
~ Heather on Crooks and Liars

Modern "conservatism" ladies and gentlemen....... Perpetually stuck in a "Leave It To Beaver" imaginary time warp.
~ Lancelot_Link on Media Matters

I love how Rush and Bill remember their glory days when Ike had a tax rate of 92%
~ Jimijams on Media Matters

Bill O'Reilly On The 1950s: "White America Was Kind Of Unified" And That "Made It Easier For Society To Function and hang Blackies from Trees "
~ Quicksilver M_S on Media Matters

In " I love Lucy" you could not say the word "Pregnant" on the show.
~ vueltagrande1 on Media Matters

Wow! what's left for him to say? This is the reason he almost cried
when Obama won re election. His lilly white world was gone again.
~ lique on Media Matters

O'Reilly could get on a bus and black people were respectful enough to move to the back when he wanted to sit. The good old days. Also the constant threat of nuclear war, man that was awesome.
~ Dylan on Mediaite

The thing is, even in the 50s (hell, especially in the 50s) people recognized those shows as caricature. This dude just doesn't have a freakin' clue. Square probably thinks that The Rally for Decency was the youth cultural event of 1969.
~ CommentsSectionsAreDumb on Mediaite

The 50s were a better time, insofar as Bill O'Reilly was not on television.
~ MaxwellHowe on Mediaite